Table 2 Female fitness traits across nuptial gift mating treatments, PG (protein gift), FG (fly gift), WG (worthless gift) and NG (no gift), data are presented as means and standard error.

% Egg hatching success

0.66 ± 0.10 a

(n_es = 12)

0.50 ± 0.15 a

(n_es = 11)

0.48 ± 0.13 a

(n_es = 8)

0.33 ± 0.33 b

(n_es = 3)

χ²_yates = 91.4

<0.0001

3

Clutch-size

45.5 ± 4.5 a

(n_es = 12)

38.0 ± 4.7 a

(n_es = 11)

43.8 ± 5.5 a

(n_es = 8)

27.3 ± 9.0 a

(n_es = 3)

F = 1.30

0.29

3

Number of spiderlings per egg-sac

31.7 ± 6.1 a

(n_es = 12)

18.2 ± 6.5 a

(n_es = 11)

23.7 ± 7.6 a

(n_es = 8)

6.3 ± 12.3 a

(n_es = 3)

F = 1.45

0.24

3

Size of spiderlings (mm+SE)

0.649 ± 0.003 a

(n_sp = 211;

n_es = 12)

0.672 ± 0.004 b

(n_sp = 107;

n_es = 7)

0.674 ± 0.004 b

(n_sp = 103;

n_es = 7)

n/a

χ²_overall = 86.92

χ²_group= 56.11

χ²_clutch-size = 52.49

χ²_{group*clutch-size}= 27.56

<0.0001

<0.0001

<0.0001

<0.0001

5

2

1

2